Ever walked up to your practice green and seen the holes sitting an inch or two above the surface? You're not seeing things, you're looking at raised cups. In this guide, we'll explain exactly what these are, why golf courses use them, and - most importantly - how you can use them as a surprisingly powerful tool to sharpen your putting skills. Prepare to transform this potential annoyance into a genuine game-improvement K.A.
A raised cup is simply a standard 4.25-inch golf hole liner that has been installed or modified to sit above the surface of the green rather than flush with it. It’s often a plastic or pvc insert that creates a small bumper around the hole. While some golfers find them odd, superintendents and golf pros have very practical reasons for using them.
Raised cups became widespread during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As courses looked for ways to operate safely, they needed to minimize common touchpoints. The flagstick and the inside of the cup were major concerns. By raising the cup, a golfer could "hole out" by having their ball simply make contact with the elevated liner.
This "touchless" solution meant no one had to reach into the hole to retrieve their ball, eliminating a high-traffic touchpoint and helping courses stay open while adhering to health guidelines. Many golf associations even recommended or temporarily required this setup for a period.
While the pandemic popularized them, the benefits of raised cups have kept them in use at many facilities, particularly on practice greens. Here are a few reasons why you might still see them:
This is where things get specific, and the answer depends entirely on the context of your round. According to the official Rules of Golf - specifically, Rule 13.2c - a ball is considered "holed" only when it is at rest inside the hole with the entire ball being below the surface of the putting green.
What does this mean for you?
Now for the fun part. Let's stop looking at raised cups as an inconvenience and start seeing them for what they are: feedback machines. A regular hole can forgive a poorly struck putt, one with bad speed can rattle in, and one with a slightly off line can catch the lip.
A raised cup offers no such forgiveness. It exposes and punishes poor speed and an imperfect line, which is exactly why it's such an effective training aid. It forces you to get the two most important putting fundamentals right.
We've all heard the advice to "hit your putts firmly" or "get it to the hole." While well-intentioned, this mindset often leads to golfers ramming their putts, taking the break out of play and leaving tricky 4-footers coming back if they miss. Ideal putting speed is one where the ball dies into the hole, giving itself the maximum chance to fall in from any side.
A raised cup is the ultimate drill for this. You cannot ram a putt into a raised cup, if you do, it will just rebound off at high speed. To "hole" a putt here, your ball must arrive with just enough energy to tap the liner and stop.
A regulation hole is forgiving. Its width allows for a margin of error in your aim. A putt doesn't have to be perfect to fall. A raised cup, on the other hand, is an infinitesimally small target. To make clean contact, you can't just slap it in the general direction, you have to hit it dead-on center.
This elevates your practice by forcing a higher level of precision. It refines your ability to align your putter face and start the ball on your intended line, which is the foundation of consistency.
It's easy to walk up to a practice green with raised cups and feel frustrated. "This isn't real golf," or "How am I supposed to practice like this?" But the best players find advantages where others see obstacles.
Instead of seeing a flimsy piece of plastic, reframe it. see it as a high-tech feedback device that is giving you instant, unfiltered data on every single putt. It tells you immediately if your speed is off (the ball rockets past) or your line is wrong (you miss it clean). A normal hole lies to you by letting mediocre putts fall. The raised cup tells you the truth.
Embrace this. The next time you encounter one, say to yourself, "Great, the course gave me a free training aid today. I'm going to leave here with sharper speed and line control than I arrived with." This positive mindset shift is not just good for your putting practice, it’s a mindset that will make you a better, more resilient golfer in every aspect of the game.
Raised cups, first popularized as a health and safety measure, still have a place in golf for protecting greens and providing a fantastic training opportunity. While a ball hitting one doesn't technically count as holed under the formal rules, it provides unfiltered feedback on the two most vital elements of putting: hitting your line and controlling your speed.
Improving at golf means understanding these kinds of nuances, whether it's how to use a raised cup to your advantage or figuring out the best way to play from a tricky downhill lie in the rough. When you’re on the course, sometimes practice drills aren't enough and you need clear, confident advice in the moment. Our mission with Caddie AI is to put that expert caddie right in your pocket. You can get an instant strategy for how to play a hole, get a club recommendation, or even snap a photos of a difficult lie to get a simple, straightforward plan to get you out of trouble, letting you commit to every shot with confidence.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
